"I've seen negotiations affected in the past by this type of publicity," she said. She added that the publicity the district has received over the contract was unlike the coverage other districts receive.

"I've never seen anything similar to what's going on," Klein said.

[Teachers Union President Larry] Custodero also spoke against the coverage in the Observer-Dispatch the past week, calling it unprofessional and unfair.

"They don't want to report the news, they want to make the news," he said to the applause of several in the crowd.

However, elsewhere details of collective bargaining agreements usually are made public before a school board or city council vote on them. In the state Legislature, bills must "age" three days on members' desks before legislators vote on them.

The Utica agreement, ratified by the school board unanimously, offers relatively modest salary increases in exchange for retiree health insurance for life, previously not available to employees hired since 1977.

The contract calls for pay raises of: 1 percent retroactive for school year 2007-08; 1.9 percent for the current year; and 1.3 percent each for 2009-10 and 2010-11. (The article does not mention the added increases teachers will receive with step or longevity increases.)

Teachers will pay 10 percent toward health insurance costs (now they pay nothing) and 40 percent for dependents. Insurance contributions made by active employees will help pay future retiree benefits.

A potential huge future expense: those hired since January 1, 1977 will get retiree health insurance after 10 years of employment, contributing to premiums at the same rate as active employees. Teachers hired after June 30, 2011 will pay more for retiree benefits, 20 percent for themselves and 50 percent for dependents